Right here waiting for you
by UmbraBlaze821
Summary: Giles is in England and Buffy still in Sunnydale. Both love the other and neither can admit it out loud. Based in part off the Bryan Adams song of the same name. Somewhat AU Please read and review.
1. Right here waiting for you

Right here waiting for you

Disclaimers: None of the characters belong to me; they all belong to Joss Whedon. Believe me, if I did own them, Giles would be mine.

The song this fic is based on 'I will be right here waiting for you' by Bryan Adams.

* * *

><p><em>Oceans apart, day after day<br>And I slowly go insane  
><em>

Sitting there in his flat in England, Rupert Giles pondered upon his decision to return. It had been the hardest choice he'd ever had to make, but for the sake of him as well as her, he knew it was the right one.

Or at least that's what he was telling himself as he slowly set about unpacking his belongings from their various boxes and crates. Moving home was a stressful experience at the best of times; moving country added to that stress, moving continent was torture. He had been back three days now and he was only just getting over the jetlag, he now stood in a flat in which you could see little floor space due to the possessions that lay packed up throughout.

Try as he might though, the concentration couldn't come to him to set about with the needed task. His thoughts were well and truly elsewhere: across a wide ocean and on another continent, his thoughts were fixated on a young blond that he'd left behind. She was the whole reason why he was here now, in England trying to unpack, but the pain of being so far apart from her was undeniable.

So far apart from the woman he had foolishly let himself fall in love with was killing him inside. That was his reason for being back here: not the fact that she needed to grow up, she had done that so much over the course of the last five and a half years. No, he needed to run away from her before he did something he would regret.

He'd become an expert in hiding his true feeling towards her, managing to find that magic distance that wasn't too close or too far. But after her death and then her resurrection, he had found the barriers he'd put up were cracking, he was seeing her in pain beyond anyone's imagination. All he had wanted to do was to scoop her up into his arms and show her that, even though she felt alone, he was there for her; he was always going to be there for her. He wanted to kiss away her troubles and let her know she was loved.

But he knew she wouldn't react well to that, Buffy would never react well to her watcher doing that. To her, he was a safe haven, a protector, 'the one who was there' when she needed him to help. There had always been a detachment, a distance between them that meant, even though they would refer to themselves as friends, they hardly ever touched, hugs were so rarely seen between the two of them that even $100 a sight of one wouldn't make anyone that rich. They communicated through words and things that hung in the air, these were the things that had never been said, they were just always assumed: He was the platonic father figure to her, giving her the affection she never got off her own father.

Those were the two words that hurt the most to consider 'platonic' and 'affection', to her; he wasn't a sexual being with feelings or emotions. He didn't even have any feelings or emotions for her just regard and respect. So any chance of him having romantic feelings towards her was out of the question.

_I hear your voice, on the line  
>But it doesn't stop the pain<br>If I see you next to never  
>how can we say forever<em>

He had called Sunnydale the day after he arrived as he had promised, assuring them that he had gotten to England safely and, primarily, to check up on how they were doing without him. Willow had been the one to answer, sounding excited to hear from him but promising that everyone was coping well. This statement had given him mixed feelings: glad that they were coping, but a small voice in back of his mind started whispering that this was proof he were no longer needed.

With Xander and Anya busy at work and Dawn at school, Buffy had been the only other person to come to the phone. She said that she was fine as was being independent has he had wanted of her. She sounded happy enough, though Giles didn't need to be there to know she was putting on a false smile, he could hear it in her tone, just hiding beneath the surface. The sound of her voice on the phone had tugged at his heart, he wanted to be there again, wanted to see as well as hear her.

The moment he had fallen for her he couldn't recall, he supposed in a way he always had, from the second she had stepped into the library on her first day in Sunnydale High. But the spark had ignited into a full blazing fire on the night of her prom. It was when she had stepped into the gym in that dress that he realised she was no longer the young girl the council had sent him to in order guide through hellish troubles, but a flourishing young woman who was to be admired, respected and loved. He had almost asked her to dance that night; Wesley was dancing with Cordelia so he had thought 'to hell with it'. But when he was about to ask, Angel had appeared and taken over, placing his arms around her, letting her head rest on his chest and dancing slowly with her. The place he'd wanted to be.

But then there was the time she had walked in when Olivia was visiting. She had made it clear that anything involving him in a human fashion was 'old and gross'. He shuddered to think that she would think on him that way, but in her own sense she was probably right. There was an age gap, and not a small one, she saw him a father and no one liked thinking about parents or parental figures having sex.

All this had gone through his mind after that phone call, as though he were trying to justify his reason for running out of her life when she probably needed the most guidance and fleeing back to England. If he didn't see her, then the feelings could not manifest any further. The saying that 'absence makes the heart grow fonder' was just an empty saying. Absence made people forget, or at least he hoped this was the case for him.

_I took for granted, all the times  
>That I thought would last somehow<br>I hear the laughter, I taste the tears  
>But I can't get near you now<br>_

Buffy had been so strong from the first day that Giles honestly thought she would be the one to survive, she would be the one to conquer any evil that was placed before her. The first time she had died she he had no time to dwell on it, as she was alive again some short minutes later. He had merely counted his blessings that Xander had been there when it mattered. The second time however, he did have the time to dwell, and when he did, he realised that he had taken her for granted. Even though she was physically and mentally strong, she wasn't invincible, she was still human. Between her death and rebirth he had recalled every moment he could of his time with her, the memories that ranged from utter joy to downright anger or despair. In those times of recollection, Giles realised he had never appreciated the moments when they were happening, even the ones that hurt so much, such as the occasion of Buffy's 18th birthday, should appreciated for what they were… memories about a truly amazing young woman.

When she had come back, his heart had sung songs of joy, but was also when the trouble started. The relief, pleasure and heart-felt thanks he felt at her return had smashed at his barriers like a battering ram. It didn't create a chip; it was a huge gaping crack. Giles had started to find it harder and harder to hide his feelings from her. He'd caught himself staring at her at times when she was unaware of it, just taking in her radiant face, wondering what it would really feel like to kiss her, hold her, make love to her; but he would quickly give himself an internal slap and get back on with the everyday life of Sunnydale. The dreams of her that had never truly ceased came back and they had become much more vivid, and many mornings he had woken up in rather uncomfortable and in a cold sweat due to their intensity.

Another problem had also made itself present after she came back, and that was that the distance between them had grown considerably. She had cut herself from almost everyone and that included him. Once she would have come to him to talk personally, but now the talk was all business. Giles could only watch as she locked her feelings behind an armoured doorway and threw away the key, so no one could spot the pain she was in.

_Oh can't you see it baby,  
>You've got me going crazy<em>

Giles put his head in his hands and sighed. On the night of her prom, he had admitted it to himself: He, Rupert Giles had fallen head over heels in love with his slayer, Buffy Summers. He knew admitting that to her would lead to trouble. Emotionally it would tear down the relationship that he had fought so long to rebuild ever since her 18th birthday, the trust that he had finally re-established. Practically the council would never permit it, even if by some divine luck, Buffy did return the feelings. They had fired him swiftly when they detected what they thought was a paternal love for her, the consequences for having romantic feelings for her was something else entirely. They had been entirely wrong of course, he cared for Buffy deeply, but it was never a paternal love, whether or not he was ever around, she had a father whom he didn't want to replace. His love was more described as unconditional for years. For all these reasons, Giles knew he best be here and out of her reach, he had hoped originally that the mere presence of her would quell any outstanding emotions, but that had proved insufficient, he needed and wanted more. But he would never take without permission; he was a gentleman and always would be.

With one last heavy sigh he looked again at the boxes at his feet and then proceeded with the unpacking, the solid proof that he had left Sunnydale, and his love behind.

* * *

><p><em>Wherever you go, whatever you do<br>I will be right here, waiting for you  
>Whatever it takes, or how my heart breaks<br>I will be right here waiting for you_

Buffy was lying on her bed, flat on her back staring at the ceiling. She had been like this for close to three hours now, thinking about things. Well, in truth it was only one thing, the same thing that had been on her mind since it had left a week ago now. Rupert Giles had left her, claiming she needed to learn to be independent of him. The night after he had gone she'd wept, it was quiet and unknown to anyone other than her, but she wept. The man she had given her heart to in more ways than one had left her behind to fend for herself. She was capable, she knew this, but it didn't stop the dull ache in her chest that screamed for him to come back.

She couldn't believe it when she realised it, but she had fallen in love with her watcher. What had started off as deep respect and friendship had blossomed into something that, for a long while, Buffy couldn't describe. She had always found him a striking man from the first moment she met him, in the library on the first day of school. But over the years, she had come to regard him as, not just striking, but also handsome, decent and forever the gentleman. They were never the 'touchy-feely' sort, hugs were rarely given, but smiles, looks and unspoken conversations said it all, she could trust him unconditionally and come to him for anything. She had truly believed he was the one man who would never run away from her, unlike the rest.

But now he had, one of her biggest fears had come true. Giles had left her, ran off home. Now she was starting to wonder if there was another reason why. She had realised her love in full when she had come back from the dead, Giles had been the one thing that had assured her she was safe from harm. The feelings had grown to an intense level, to the point where Buffy had wanted nothing more than to cuddle up close to him and kiss him until neither of them could breathe. When this had happened Buffy had grown frightened, not of the feelings, but of Giles' reaction to them. So Buffy had then tried to keep him at an arm's length at a hope that would satisfy her cravings for him, keeping their meetings to being strictly business, but it did not. So she had opted for a compromise and attempted to lock up the pain she was feeling about being next to a man she couldn't have. She wanted more of this man that she _knew _she couldn't have. He would never react favourably to them. He was British and a gentleman along with it, if he were ever to find out, Buffy imagined that he would acknowledge them and let her down gently, probably through a renewed case of stuttering.

Could that have been the reason he left? He'd found out and didn't want to face her. Did he think it was best, to leave her alone and hope the feelings subside. Her tears restarted at that thought. She could never stop these feelings. The romances she'd had before with Angel or Riley paled in comparison to what she was feeling right now. She knew that no matter what happened or the distance that was now between them, she would wait for him. She would wait for him, even if it took years. Her heart tore at the seams because of him, but Buffy could never hate him, not even when he betrayed her on her 18th birthday could she stay angry at him for very long. He had tried so hard to build up her trust in him again and she'd let him, because she knew she could never remain mad at the man who had given up his life to help her survive.

Besides, even if by some miracle, he did return her feelings, the council would never allow it. They had come down on Giles hard when they accused of having a father's love for her. The costs of a romantic relationship would be brutal. She would damn the whole council if she got the chance, they ruined everything. But they had spelt out something for Buffy; they had said Giles had a father's love for her. If he did, then he would definitely frown on any attempts she made to change that.

In many ways he was the father she never had, or at least he was the father figure who was there: he gave up everything, his life, his job, and his family to care and protect her. Even when she treated him terribly, and she had done so several times over the years, he still remained there ready to aid. But just before he left, Buffy had thought (or was it hoped) that she'd seen him looking at her at times when he thought she didn't know. When they were researching in the Magic Box and she was reading, she thought she'd seen him out of the corner of her eye staring at her with a small smile on his face. It was at these times she'd hope he would say or do something that would make his feelings more clear to her. But every time she had looked up to meet his eye, he was reading his books as he should have been.

* * *

><p>Weeks had progressed into months, six in fact, and Giles was settling down to life back on Britain. A job opportunity had arisen that he had grasped with both hands; a small theatre in London's west end wanted a singer for weekly shows, and preferably one that could do the classics. Giles had auditioned and got through. He was now performing every Saturday night for quite good pay. The theatre job gave his contracts monthly, which he didn't mind, it would give him easy get out, should he eventually get bored of the job. It gave him something to do, something to focus on besides Buffy. She never really heard him sing, he realised, except for that musical demon incident. But she'd never heard him singing with his guitar. He mentally shook his head, he wasn't to go on thinking about her, the reason for this job was focus.<p>

He still kept in regular contact with Sunnydale, so they were never completely off his mind. He had spoken to them all at some point and finding out they were doing fine. Buffy spoke to him on occasion (it was mainly Willow and Dawn that spoke to him) but their conversations were always short and they always seemed at a loss for something to say. Willow had said, in more detail, that Buffy was dealing with her issues and, with the aid of the others, coping with her life.

_Oh can't you see it baby,  
>You've got me going crazy<em>

Now though, it was 7 o'clock on the morning, and Giles was being woken by the phone's persistent ringing he picked it up from the bedside table an answered it while trying to stifle a yawn. On the other end of the line was a very panicky Willow trying to calm her breathing to talk to him.

"Willow, sweetheart, take a few deep breaths and try again I can't understand you."

He heard her attempts to breathe, and then she tried to talk again with more success.

"Giles, I know this is really short notice but you need to get over here. It's Buffy."

At the last two words Giles sat bolt upright, all personal emotions went to one side as he went into his full watcher mode.

"What's happened Willow?"

His voice remained calm, trying not to panic the witch further. It was the opposite to how he was feeling at the minute but he needed to keep a level head in this.

"She was attacked by a mass of… everything. Vampires, demons, the works. We're in the hospital but it's not looking good. The doctor said that she's slipped into a coma. Giles please I don't know what to do."

Then he could hear her sobbing, he spoke to her quietly for a few moments trying to encourage her to calm down before he continued.

"Willow, please listen to me…"

"Please we need you back!"

Giles heard the raw emotion in her voice and took a deep breath before continuing.

"Willow, I'll book the earliest flight I can, but it will still take some time before I get there. Who else is with you?"

"Tara, Xander, Anya, and Dawn."

"What about Spike?"

He inwardly cringed as he said this; he knew the vampire had feelings for Buffy.

"He fled a while ago; he attacked Buffy in a frantic attempt to get to her. After that he fled. We haven't seen him since."

He closed his eyes as he spoke, they had never told him this, possibly on Buffy's instruction, but he couldn't help but be somewhat angry that they kept that from him. He made a mental note to stake Spike if he ever saw him again and then said,

"Right, I want to all to stay calm, I'll be there as soon as I can."

Willow said her thanks and hung up. Giles shook himself and pinched the bridge of his nose. Buffy was injured and it was possibly fatal, professionally he was kicking himself that he wasn't there to help her. Bizarrely, he was doing the same thing personally. He leapt out of bed and made two phone calls, the first to the theatre stating he did not want to renew his contract and second to book a ticket on the next flight to LA. He hoped and prayed that she would be able to hold on until he got there. The flight was at 5 o'clock that afternoon, letting land 8 o'clock California time. Thinking ahead, he also booked a rental car in advance, wanting to get to Sunnydale as quickly as possible.

After making all the phone calls he ran upstairs to pack, he didn't know how long he was intending to stay, even though a small part of his brain was yelling to pack all his belongings and move back. He decided in the end to pack enough for three weeks, laundry could be done if he stayed longer. Once he had packed and dressed he sat back down on his bed, head in his hands again as he mumbled out loud,

"Buffy, please my love, hold on. I couldn't live if you were to die again."

* * *

><p>Waiting around had been agonizing, in his flat, the airport and then the eleven hour flight to LA. Everything was taking far too long. He had just landed and gotten through passport control, he was collecting his car from the front entrance. It was taking all his control to remain calm throughout every transaction, he mind kept showing him an image of Buffy unconscious on a hospital bed, and that combined the setting in jetlag, was making him edgy.<p>

The drive was thankfully swift, arriving outside the hospital 40 minutes later. He drew in several deep breaths before exiting the car; running in there in a mad dash wouldn't do any of them any good. He assumed they'd be there, waiting for him to join them at her bedside. Slowly, he got out of the car and entered the hospital; he was greeted almost instantly to a young voice calling his name and a young teenage girl flinging herself into his arms. Dawn hugged him frantically and weeping into his jumper. Giles could do nothing more than to rub her back and try and calm her, as he was doing so, he was greeted by the others who had seemingly been waiting for him.

Willow was the next to embrace him after Dawn finally let go.

"Thank goodness you're here!"

The tears that he'd heard yesterday returned with a vengeance. As he hugged her he looked at the others, Tara seemed close to tears also, and even Xander and Anya were looking distressed. He exchanged greetings with everyone, hugging Tara and Anya and placing a comforting hand on Xander's shoulder. Then, he asked the question that had plagued him since Willow's phone call.

"How is she? I need to see her."

Dawn started crying again, Giles could only guess that any news wasn't good. With all the girls in floods (even Anya was tearing up), Xander volunteered to take Giles to Buffy's room. But before he could get too far Xander stopped him in the corridor.

"Listen, I need to talk to you before you go in there."

"Xander, whatever it is, I'll deal with it later. I need to see her."

Why couldn't he see the urgency in Giles' eyes? Buffy was injured and he needed to be there for her, unlike when the actual incident occurred. He then made a move to pass the young man, but Xander put his arm out and forced to stop in his tracks again.

"No Giles, you need to listen to me _before_ you go in there."

Giles heard the insistence and nodded reluctantly. He then motioned for him to continue.

"I don't know what you've been told by Willow, Dawn or even Buffy herself in our calls to you. But she's missed you terribly. She's cried over you too many times to count over these past six months, wanting you to come back. I've never seen her so heartbroken Giles, not even when Angel said he was leaving to go to LA. She hoped you'd never leave her, she told me once that beyond anyone else, she trusted you, unconditionally and absolutely. I can't even begin to say I understand the whole watcher-slayer thing, but from what I was hearing that's a trust that goes beyond normal friendship. She's independent and always has been, even just after her rebirth, so that's not the reason you left Giles. What the reason is, I suppose only you know, but I doubt any reasons going through your mind would be worth hurting her so badly over."

Xander's voice had stayed calm during the entire speech, but every word held Giles' attention. He'd hurt her, more than he ever thought possible it seemed, he'd hurt her. Nothing could be said to answer Xander short of a full confession of his true feelings, so he just nodded and said,

"No Xander, I suppose they weren't and believe me and I am willing and able to try and make it up to her, but right now I need to see her."

A small smile made its way onto Xander's mouth; he then turned on his heel and led Giles to Buffy's room.

_Whatever it takes, or how my heart breaks  
>I will be right here waiting for you<em>

The sight of her on the bed almost made Giles weep. She was covered in bruises and there were many deep gashes adorning her body that were not showing any signs of healing. Since she was unconscious, her natural slayer healing would be slowed, add to that the possibility she may have some vampire venom in her and her healing would slower than that of an average human. The tears were staring to form in his eyes, he could kick himself for not being there for her. Xander saw this and said softly that he would give Giles some time alone.

Giles had only half heard this, he just stared at his beloved slayer, battered beyond what he'd ever seen her. A few moments later his brain registered that Xander had said something, but as he looked over his shoulder, the young man had left and shut the door. He slowly sat down on the bed at Buffy's side, allowing the tears to fall down his cheeks. Slowly, he reached out his right hand and stroked her cheek and then moved the stray hair from in her face to behind her ear.

"I'm sorry my love, I should have been here, I should have been at your side to help you."

He knew that she couldn't hear him but he needed to say it. He would never know if his presence would have made a difference to the end result, but that didn't matter, he would have still been there to help with the mass attack she had faced. Carefully, he placed a kiss onto her forehead and then rested his against it, almost trying to give her the strength to recover and return to him. His heart was breaking at the possibility that she might not make it, and he knew that he would never leave her side until he knew whether or not she would. He kissed her one more time before saying,

"I love you Buffy, please come back to me."

* * *

><p>Little did Giles know that Dawn, Xander and Willow were all just outside the door, they had sent Anya and Tara home to rest. Not initially meaning to eavesdrop, they meant only to sit outside the room, giving Giles time to see her before they joined him. But they heard him speaking softly and were amazed at what they heard.<p>

"I'm sorry my love, I should have been here, I should have been at your side to help you."

"I love you Buffy, please come back to me."

When they peered into the room the saw Giles lying next to Buffy, carefully cradling her head to his chest, he seemed to crying softly into her hair.

"Giles loves Buffy?" Dawn wondered out loud

"Of course he does, " Xander replied. "They got that whole watcher-slayer thing going on. That would create some kind of love."

Dawn turned round and looked at Xander, "That looks like more than a watcher-slayer friendship to me. He sounds more _in_ love."

Xander raised an eyebrow at this and peered in again, but he had to mentally confess, Dawn was right, Giles did look like someone who was on the cusp of losing his whole world.

"If he really felt that way though, why did he leave?" He asked "I mean, would any of you agree with me and suggest Buffy may feel the same way."

"Unless he didn't know." Willow said, speaking up for the first time. "I mean, Buffy does feel the same way, I know it, but she was scared of telling Giles in case he reacted unfavourably. It was possibly the same with him."

They all, in the end, just shook their heads, they could never understand the relationship between Giles and Buffy. They looked in once more and saw that Giles seemed to have calmed down from his tears so they gently knocked on the door and made their way inside.

Giles quickly, but gently, lowered her head back onto the pillow and looked at the three as they came in,

"What was the latest news from the doctor?"

Dawn was the one who answered, "She's stable but they're not sure if she's going to wake up from this. She was pretty badly hurt."

He nodded and gazed back at her, she was strong, she would wake up. The three friends studied this latest gaze and one by one, they mentally agreed with Dawn, Giles was wearing his heart on his sleeve and he did love Buffy.

"Why did you leave Giles?" His head went back to the three and saw Dawn standing slightly further forward, looking at him inquisitively. "And please don't give the official watchery reason, we all know that's not true."

Giles sighed and ran his hand through his hair. Should he tell them the truth, how would they judge him, not just for the fact that he loves Buffy in a way he doubted any of them had contemplated, but also that he'd ran away because of that.

"I left because I thought it best for both of us."

"That's not an answer." When her comment was met with silence, Dawn decided to battle ahead with her question. "Do you love Buffy?"

Giles, who had been staring towards the ceiling, shot Dawn a shocked look. The first thought that came into his mind was to deny everything.

"W-w-why would you s-say that? I-I care for her v-v-very much of course."

"I asked do you love her not do you care about her, Giles you left for a reason and I think I may now know what that reason is. You love her so much your scared of it, you thought running away would make it stop. But I know from the way Buffy's been acting the past few months it doesn't, you should hear her Giles, she cried herself to sleep for you and every nightmare she has, it's you she shouts out for to help her. She needs you."

Giles' face had gone blank as Dawn spoke. Willow then spoke up to break him out of his stupor.

"What's more, she loves you."

Giles looked at her with a raised eyebrow; he knew Buffy would never return his feelings.

"I being serious Giles she does, after bringing her back, I've tried to help her through her problems, trying to make up for the mistake I made. We've talked a lot, and you've came up frequently, she was reluctant at first to admit it to me but she said she fallen for you. She wanted you to come back terribly from day one, but she was nervous as to how you'd react if you found out. She's said more than once she thinks that's the reason you left, that you'd found out and didn't want to face her."

All three of them now had basically chastised him for being a fool and, in their own way, all said they knew how he felt and that Buffy felt the same way. Could she? Could she love him? He knew better than to gather up any hopes right now, but he kept their words in mind for when she woke up.

"I assure you Willow that was never the case. If you really wish the truth, I hoped leaving for a while would allow my own feelings to die away. You were right Dawn."

He turned to them once more, his face soft, and he smiled softly at them. He was, despite the hospital circumstances, happy to be back. Before he could any more lost in his thoughts, one of the doctors came in to check her over, so they all stepped outside.

The hallway seemed deathly silent and none of the friends spoke a word, they just watched Giles as his brain worked on processing all the information they had given to him in the past while. They were sure they saw the smallest of smiles creep onto his face at some point, but it was gone so quickly they may have been mistaken.

In Giles' head, his mind was working overtime on what Xander, Dawn and Willow had said, after a while he decided not to dwell on it too heavily until he was sure Buffy would wake up. He didn't want his hopes scattered by a grim prognosis.

* * *

><p><em>I wonder how we can survive this romance<br>But in the end if I'm with you I'll take the chance_

Almost a week had gone by since Giles had landed back in America. He was sleeping on the sofa in Buffy's house. Since Tara and Willow were living there now, it had been the place they offered him, originally he protested, stating he would either find a motel or rent a place short term. But they had none of it and so he relented, the sofa wasn't the most comfortable place to sleep in the world, but if was sufficient.

He had never really slept on a night anyway, he spent his nights thinking, mostly about Buffy and also on his current situation options. He was heavily considering moving back, his old apartment still didn't have a new tenant and he could reserve a lease on it while he returned to England to retrieve his possessions. But he could still not say for certain whether he would stay fulltime again.

His train of thought was broken by the ringing of the phone. Giles glanced his watch, it was only 2 o'clock in the morning. Who would be ringing at this time of night? He picked up the phone,

"Hello, Summers residence."

"Hello, whom am I addressing?"

This guy sounded rather formal, and then it struck him, it was probably the hospital with news.

"This is Rupert Giles."

There was a pause on the other end of the line, presumably checking his name was one the system as a next of kin to Buffy, which it always had been, ever since they had both arrived in Sunnydale.

"Mr Giles, this is Sunnydale infirmary, we are calling in reference to Buffy Summers, and she is beginning to show signs of waking up."

Giles had to stop himself from cheering at the top of his voice, but a large smile did adorn his face.

"R-really, that's f-fantastic. I'll be right over."

The doctor acknowledged this and then hung up. Giles quickly got changed and was about to leave the house before he paused for a moment. Dawn and the others would want to know she was alright. But he decided against waking them, partially to let them sleep, but mostly because he wanted to see her by herself for a while. He wrote them a quick note telling them where he was going and why before driving to the hospital.

He knew she would make it, she was a strong girl. He walked into the hospital and went straight to Buffy's room, where a doctor was there waiting for him.

"She can hear me and reacted just now, she's starting to regain consciousness."

The doctor said this all with a smile on his face, as he saw the relief wash over Giles. He then stood aside to let the other man in.

Giles walked up and took up, what had become his normal spot, at the side of her bed. He placed his hand gently in hers, and slowly stroked the back of her hand with his thumb.

"Buffy?"

Her eyes seemed to flicker in response, but he knew that might not mean too much, even the eyes of people in comas twitched every so often. He continued to stroke her hand and brought his other one up to cup her right cheek.

There was definitely a reaction this time, her face turned towards his hand, he ran his thumb lightly along her cheek and jawline. The smile on his face growing steadily larger.

"Buffy?"

He said again, a little louder. He heard a soft groan in response and her eyes squinted a few times and then opened.

The lights dazzled her, and it took several moments for her sight to grow accustomed to its levels. Her head hurt and all her limbs felt heavy. After a short while she became fully aware that there was another person there with her. She lifted her head groggily and her eyes met the green ones of her watcher. He was looking down on her smiling, one hand in hers and the other on her cheek. This couldn't be really, she must have been dreaming, Giles was in England.

But the touched felt real, the warmth coming off his body as it sat near her felt very real.

"Giles?"

If possible the smile on his face grew larger.

"Yes Buffy, I'm here sweetheart."

He then bent down and placed a careful kiss on her forehead.

"Forgive me Buffy. I should have been here to protect you. I did the cowardly thing and ran off instead of being honest with you. I realise now you deserve that."

Buffy lifted her head slightly. The words he was saying were not really sinking in. Giles was back, he was here next to her and holding her. She was overjoyed. Instead of answering him she just raised herself into a sitting position and hugged into his chest. Giles responded in kind, wrapping his arms softly around her waist, being mindful that she had just awoken from a coma.

"I missed you."

Her small voice was muffled in his shirt where her face was in his chest, but he heard her. He released her and pulled her back so he could see her face. A small moan was heard as he pulled her away, but he had to see her.

"I missed you as well, you have no idea how much,"

"Then why did you leave?"

"I thought it was best for both of us if I did, but it would appear, from what I've been told, that both of us have had misunderstandings about each other."

He paused for a moment to look at her; she was still the same beautiful woman she always was, even with the bruises and abrasions still there. Her eyes were showing a questioning look at his words, so he continued.

"I realise now that I've hurt you, more than I would ever have wanted. But I didn't want to ruin our friendship, by acting on the impulses I was trying to repress."

"What impulses?"

Buffy had a vague idea where this was going but didn't dare raise her hopes. Instead of answering, he rubbed her arms where his hands were currently placed, he didn't meet her eyes for a long minute. She could see an internal battle go on in his head; he was trying to decide whether or not to tell her something, or how to tell her something.

He then looked her right in the eye and there were tears glittering within them, this mesmerised Buffy, it was making his emerald eyes sparkle.

"The impulse that I've fallen in love with you, some time ago. I couldn't hide those feelings anymore. After your rebirth, I just wanted to make you feel safe, but I was afraid you would reject me and I'd lose you."

That took time to sink in, Giles was in love with her, he was scared of her reaction to him. This was a sensory overload to wake up to.

"Are you sure I'm not still dreaming? You love me?"

She couldn't quite continue, there were so many questions being raised in her head she couldn't voice them all. Giles let out a soft chuckle.

"Yes I love you and no, you're not still dreaming. Willow told me that you thought the reason I left was because I found out about your feelings towards me, I assure you that isn't the case. I didn't know anything about them until I got back."

Buffy made a mental note to talk to Willow about sharing private information, but in the case she was grateful.

"Do you mind if I ask…" Giles went on, "What exactly are your feelings towards me?"

"I thought you said Willow told you,"

"She told me you had fallen for me and you wanted me to come back. But I want to hear it from you."

All of his insecurities came out in that line, he could never fully relax with her feelings until she had said them. Buffy realised this herself, and thought in that one moment he couldn't have gotten any sweeter.

"I love you Rupert Giles, I have for so long, I just didn't realise it until recently. And then you left on me, I thought I'd something terribly wrong."

She couldn't stop the tears from starting, Giles placed her back into his gentle embrace and kiss the top of her head.

"It would appear that we have both been fools."

A chuckle came through her tears and then she dug her head still deeper into his chest. She never wanted to leave this man again, not for a moment. All her dreams were coming true at once. Giles brought her out of her thoughts.

"Buffy, sweetheart," He steadily brought her out of his arms again to look at her. "Do you really want this from me, even though there is an age gap? I love more than I value the air I breathe, but I would never force anything from you for my own gratification."

Buffy felt herself melt at his words, be truly was the sweetest man in the world.

"Yes Gi… Rupert, I really want this, but do me a favour."

"What's that?"

"Don't love me that much; if you do I can't top it for you."

Both of them laughed until Buffy winced from the pain that until that moment had been nearly forgotten.

"I think we better take it easy with you for little while, you've just awoken from quite an ordeal. You need to rest. But listen to me please; if you really do want this, then of course I'll stay."

He paused for a short instant to watch the smile grow on her face.

"But I will need to go back to England once more, so I bring back my belongings."

"Do you have to go straight away? I've just got you back"

"No, not straight away, I have to get the lease on my apartment established and of course book the flights. I'll stay for two more weeks. Then I'll be there and back before you know it."

"I'll still miss you."

"I would invite you along with me, but I'm not sure if you could travel in your condition."

"You'd take me with you?"

"If you think you could manage it, yes."

He watched her consider things in her head.

"I think I'll be able to fly a couple of weeks from now. I have a passport, and it would be great to see some of England."

"I'll check with the doctor. Until then we'll take things slowly and get you back to full health."

Buffy knew that when he said 'take things slowly' he meant their relationship as well; she knew he was never the type to rush into anything like this, even if, in her opinion, they'd had over 5 years preparation for this.

She nodded slowly and for lay once again in his arms, eyes closed, smiling contently that she was at last safe and happy. Giles himself was smiling from ear to ear, the sort of smile that was very rarely seen on his face. But he knew now that he too had found happiness in this blond in his arms.

* * *

><p>Hope you enjoyed this. Please review, I love to hear it all (even the constructive criticism) If you like this I will write another chapter. So much for this being a one-shot.<p> 


	2. Can't take my eyes off of you

Can't take my eyes off of you

Disclaimers: None of the characters belong to me; they all belong to Joss Whedon. Believe me, if I did own them, Giles would be mine.

The song this chapter is based on 'Can't take my eyes off of you' by Frankie Valli

* * *

><p><em>At long last love has arrived<br>And I thank God I'm alive  
>You're just too good to be true<br>Can't take my eyes off of you_

For the next two weeks, Giles let a wonderful new feeling sink into him and fill him up with a warmth and joy he hadn't felt in a long time. He was in love with a beautiful, young, vibrant woman who loved him back just as much. She had been released from the hospital ten days after she woke up, the doctors now confident she was on a steady road to recovery. She had been spending the past few days in her home resting, doing small jobs around the place to keep her occupied, and all the while Rupert Giles would watch her, smiling for the world to see that his Buffy, his slayer, his love, was alive and willing to be with him.

The others had arrived at the hospital a few hours after she had awoken, and they were over-joyed to see that she was alive and going to be alright. There was always someone at her bedside after that, and it was nearly always Giles. Now that he had her, he was reluctant to leave her, even if only for a few hours. The others were happy to share time with him when they could, but they did allow Giles and Buffy some alone time, all expressing several times how relieved and happy they were that the two of them had finally come to their senses about each other's feelings.

Now that she was home, Giles had fully set about preparing for his own full-time return. The apartment had been easy enough to reserve and he had now booked two tickets to fly them into London.

He had inquired the doctors as to whether she would be able to fly, he wanted more than anything now to take her with him. She needed a break and he wanted to be able to spend some alone time with her. But he would never dream of doing so if such an action would harm her further. Fortunately, the doctors had allowed her to fly, saying the change of scenery for a short while might actually do her some good. He had therefore, allowed her to carry on recovering while he organised everything for their trip. It would be strange to be back in Sunnydale, and the old apartment again, having left it swearing never to return. But for Buffy, he would jump up and try to touch the moon.

They hadn't done too much together, he was still sleeping on the sofa, he had insisted on letting her sleep alone to recuperate, and also her bed was too narrow for the two of them to fit comfortably. He would also not allow themselves to get too steamy, restricting themselves only to hugs and light kisses, knowing any more might hurt her. They had, however, gone out a few times over the last four days, Giles taking her out to dinner and a movie or possibly, just out to the shops to permit her a change of pace. They would walk hand in hand smiling, talking and laughing; they didn't care who saw them and not many people seemed to care anyway.

The day had now arrived that they were going to fly, everything was packed and both Giles and Buffy were ready for the off. Xander, Willow and the rest of the gang had eagerly promised to pick up the slack on the slaying front while they were away. As Giles was placing the last of the cases into the car, Buffy came to his side,

"They are going to be alright aren't they? I mean, they won't get themselves killed stupidly."

"I have every confidence in them, they have done it before, and so I'm sure that they can do so again."

He could see Buffy still looked a little concerned; he put his arm around her shoulders and pulled her into a one-armed hug.

"I promise they'll be fine."

At this she looked up and smiled, one of those rare smiles that she possessed, but showed sparingly, the one that lit up her entire face. Giles hugged her once more before gesturing for her to get into the car so they could drive to the airport. He knew the flight would be a long one for her, since she had never travelled so far, he could only hope that England would be worth it for her in the end.

* * *

><p>They sat waiting for their plane to arrive at LAX airport. Giles was spending the time telling Buffy about London and what there was to see. He hoped he would be able to show her the wonders of the city, they were staying there for three weeks, allowing Giles time to pack and for them both to do the 'tourist thing' in London. He hoped to indulge her with London's best, letting her sample the restaurants, shops and shows that were on offer. All through the talk Buffy had her hand on Giles' knee and his hand covered hers, his thumb stroking her hand gently; keeping a connection to almost remind his brain that this was real.<p>

_You'd be like heaven to touch  
>I wanna hold you so much<em>

As soon as the boarding call was given they both made their way to the allocated gate, where they were able to board the plane a short while later. The plane was not completely full and Giles and Buffy found themselves alone in their row. Giles offered Buffy the window seat, which she firmly declined.

"Flying alone makes me nervous; don't make me watch us hurtle to our dooms."

He let out the softest of chuckles before stating,

"I assure you Buffy we're quite safe."

Nevertheless he took the window seat and she got the middle, leaving the aisle seat empty. Giles noticed during the process of take-off Buffy did indeed grow quite quiet. Her hands were clinging on, a little too tightly, to the armrests. He put his right hand over her left and squeezed it.

"It's ok, I'm here."

He then moved his hand to her shoulder and rubbed it to allow her to feel his presence. She slowly started to calm down and relax somewhat under his touch, but he didn't cease his action until the seatbelt sign was turned off and he knew they were well and truly in the air. Only once the light went off did he remove his hand, dropping it from her shoulder and letting it slide down her back. Buffy looked at him sheepishly for a moment before looking away.

"I know, I can face many evil things, and flying is the thing that frightens me."

"I never said anything and I wasn't going to. I've seen greater people cower at less."

Unable to hold himself back, he moved the armrest up between them and motioned for her to come in for a hug. She went to him without hesitation, resting herself in his chest while he wound his arm around her. Giles couldn't help but smile whenever they did this; she fit so perfectly next to him. They stayed like that for a long while; no one was looking at them or asking questions. They could just sit there enjoying each other's company.

With the flight being over 11 hours long, the cabin lights were shut off part way to allow the passengers to sleep some before landing in England. Buffy was still resting in Giles' embrace and was quite happy to sleep there. Giles, of course would never complain, he could never say no to her. The time for sleep also allowed the time to pass more swiftly on the flight, something Giles was thankful for when he watched the steady rise and fall of Buffy's chest, showing she had dozed off. The quicker the time went for her the less time she had to get nervous for the landing.

He couldn't wait for the time when they could become one for the first time, but he knew it had to be the right moment, he would make the right moment when they were in London. For now he would control his urges, knowing that this time, unlike the countless times before, he would reach the glorious resolution and be able to be with his beloved, and with that thought in his mind, he too drifted off, resting his head gently on hers.

* * *

><p>They arrived in Heathrow airport in the early morning, local time. Buffy wasn't as bad on the landing, but she was still rather tense until all the wheels hit the tarmac of the runway. Their luggage was collected and they made their way to the car park. Giles had, while in England, borrowed a car from an old friend of his (since it wasn't getting used) until he could buy himself one. He had never quite gotten round to it, so his friend's car was the one sitting in the car park. The drive back was quiet; Buffy was still tired and fell back asleep not long after they left Heathrow to head off to Giles' flat. Since this was her first time travelling across time zones, Giles knew that the jetlag would hit her hard and fast. He of course had done it countless times by now; not only back and forth to California for Buffy but he had travelled across the world for the watchers' council and also for the archaeological digs he used to attend when he was younger.<p>

As he drove he thought on about that, he never told Buffy about his stint as an archaeologist, she knew about his time as curator for the British Museum, but not what he did previous to that. After he came to his senses from the Eygon incident and finished his degree at Oxford, he had had the opportunity to explore many digs across the world and find many artefacts. He still possessed some of them (the ones the museums didn't want) and they were currently with his sister and her family in Bath.

Once they reached the flat, Giles carefully led her into the flat and sat her down on the sofa while he got the bags. His flat was located in Hammersmith in the west end of London; it was a short distance from all the main theatres, including the one he used to work at. He got all the bags inside and shook Buffy who was about to doze off again.

"Hey sweetheart, you better try and stay awake for now, you'll get used to the time difference quicker."

He couldn't help but smile, she looked exhausted from the flight, he still felt it himself but not to a great extent anymore, and he knew from experience that you had to force your body clock to reset itself to local time, even if that meant staying up through the tiredness. She had never looked as beautiful to Giles as she did right now, lazing on the sofa, half asleep. She really was a woman to be treasured and worshipped.

To try and keep her awake he decided to show her around the near area of London, they could easily branch out over the next couple of weeks, but for now he would show her what Hammersmith itself had, including the theatre and the 19th Century Bridge. He was also sure that she would say no to a look around the Broadway Shopping Centre either. It was certainly bigger than the mall in Sunnydale, though he didn't think it could really compare to those she was used to in LA. A full day would be good, to take her mind off being the slayer, even if only temporarily.

* * *

><p><em>So if you feel like I feel<br>Please let me know that it's real_

The trip was a complete success, and throughout the day, Buffy had a smile on her face bright enough to light the night sky. She was enjoying this, yes, the places were interesting but most importantly, for now, she had no responsibilities and she was spending time having fun with the love of her life. She could listen to him for hours as that sexy voice was telling her the history of the area and pointing out the famous London sights including many street performers.

Giles was also having a great time, seeing Buffy happy was enough to make him so and he noticed she was genuinely listening as he told her of the wonder that was London. He had known the shopping centre would take her fancy and she went through the shops, he offered to buy her anything she wanted. She was reluctant at first but he insisted, he wanted her to enjoy her time here with him and he wanted to shower her with gifts showing his adoration for the woman he loved.

They ate dinner at a small restaurant around the corner from Giles' flat before heading back. Both of them were tired and it didn't take long before they were deciding to head to bed. After getting changed into their nightwear, Giles had shown Buffy where the spare room was in case she didn't want to share with him, he was still rather nervous about her feelings, but she followed him into his room without discussion. They both settled into the covers, Buffy lying on her back and Giles facing toward her. He spoke up,

"How are you feeling?"

"Not too bad now, it's nice to have some purely free time for once."

"I know what you mean."

There was a short pause before Buffy spoke again.

"Giles?"

"Hmm?"

"What's the council going to say if they find out about this?"

So, it had been on her mind as well as his, he doubted they would act favourably, but he knew that this wasn't the first time a watcher and slayer (even just a potential) had got together and he knew it wouldn't be the last. And if they took action every time they would have no watchers left. Despite the past behaviour and actions, Quentin Travers knew that Buffy was dedicated to her work and she worked best when she was around Giles.

"I don't they'll approve too much," He said eventually. "But considering how long we've known each other, they could probably guess this action eventually. It isn't the first time this has happened."

"Really? But they sacked you last time for getting too emotionally close. What if they…"

"Even if they sack me again I'll never abandon you, I didn't leave after they sacked me and sent Wesley did I? And I won't leave this time either. I'm moving back and I'll continue to be there for you and help when however I can. Council be damned."

At this Giles gave in to himself, he placed his hand on her cheek and lowered his lips onto hers. It was passionate but it didn't demand, it didn't force. He just gave her knowledge of his love for her, his tongue snaked across her bottom lip, asking permission. She answered by opening her mouth and their tongues met, not in a battle, but a slow dance. Her hands made their way to grasp around his neck while his hand left her cheek and started to caress her back and then come forward to her stomach outside her shirt. It was as her was stroking her stomach that he heard a slight hitch in her breath and he broke their connection and raised himself onto his elbow to see what was wrong.

He was shattered to see that tears were slowly streaming down her face. He had no idea what had happened or what he had done, but the first on his mind was to apologise for it.

"I sorry, I guess…"

He was stopped by Buffy placing her hand over his mouth. She then sat up and sat herself on the edge of the bed facing away from Giles, who moved back a bit to give her the space that he felt she needed. She spoke softly, trying to control her tears.

"I'm the one who should be sorry, it's nothing you've done I promise."

There was a pause as she calmed herself down.

"I know I shouldn't be like this but…"

She couldn't control her cries anymore and just sobbed. Giles, not knowing what was going on, hesitated for a few seconds before closing the gap between them and placing his hands of each of her arms and caressing them softly. It broke his heart to see her like this, but he knew, for now, he could only comfort her.

"It's alright, I promise, I'm here. You can tell me anything, but I can wait until you're ready."

Not daring to go too far he placed a chaste kiss on the top of her head and continued to stroke her arms.

"Did any of the guys tell you what Spike did to me while you were away?"

"Willow told me he attacked you."

He had to calm himself down to talk to her; he didn't want her to hear his growing anger at the blond vampire.

"Yeah, he attacked me; he got me while I was injured from a fight. He pinned me down and tried to… he tried to…"

She then turned her body around so she was facing Giles and then slammed her face into his chest, soaking his t-shirt with her cascading tears. Giles, himself, was trying to remain composed, he was fighting the urge to start shaking with the rage that was spurting up inside. He had a fair idea what he tried to do, but he needed to hear it. Moreover, she needed to say it. He maintained the touch between the two of them, giving her a proverbial anchor.

"Luv, look at me please." He waited until she looked up. "If it is what I think it is, then you need to be able to say it. It will haunt you and it will make you its slave until you can. As long as I breathe I will never let him harm you again. Believe me if I ever find him, there'll be a stake through his heart before he can say 'man united'."

She let out a weak laugh at that, and then went solemn again.

"He tried to… rape me."

Giles' fears were confirmed and he made a mental note to set that stake on fire before plunging it into that vamp. He hugged her tightly once more and steadily lay her down on the bed again.

"We'll take this slow; you know I would never take selfishly."

She nodded her head; she knew that would always be true. She then beckoned him down so she could say something to him, as soon as his ear was near her mouth she said,

"I love you so much Rupert; I just wish I could give you all that you deserve."

"Don't be ridiculous Buffy, you are far superior to what I deserve, rest now. I want to take you proper tour of London, starting from tomorrow; you'll need your strength."

He placed one more kiss on her forehead and then settled himself down to sleep. Buffy turned away from Giles but then backed herself up so that her back was resting at his chest, Giles wrapped an arm around her and they fell asleep a short time later. Buffy feeling like she had done just after she was resurrected, she was upset and in pain, but the feeling of her watcher's, and now lover's, arms around her made her feel safe and loved.

* * *

><p>The dream she had that night was a bad one, she was reliving that time in her house with Spike. She had cried again and again, asking him to let her go, but he wouldn't relent. She was now even angrier at what he had done; it was ruining what she had with Giles. Buffy knew Giles was decent and would never force, but what she had done was almost a reflex reaction to being touched intimately, she didn't want it to be that way, more than anything she wanted to be with Giles. Spike nearly had her, but she heard a small voice in the distance calling her name asking her to open her eyes.<p>

When she did, she realised where she was, in Giles' bed in London, many miles away from Spike. She let out a long breath and took comfort in the hand caressing her face.

"I'm here, I'm here."

"I'm so weak."

Buffy said this with the last of the sobs turning into frustration.

"You're not weak, you're human. If we didn't have feelings and frailties, we'd be robots."

How come he always knew the right thing to say? It was always the thing she needed to hear to feel better.

"Come on sweetheart, it's half past eight, we might as well get up and get ready."

* * *

><p>The next few weeks were taken up with travelling and packing. Giles tried to take her everywhere he could, showing her the diversity of his capital city. On the days where she rested he went about packing his flat. Unlike when he was unpacking, he did this with enthusiasm and was completely finished by the end of their second week.<p>

Buffy had really enjoyed the trips he had taken her on, which had included some of the well-known landmarks, like Buckingham Palace and the Houses of Parliament. He had also taken her to several museums which, although usually it wouldn't she'd relish, had been really interesting and fun because of how Giles had showed her everything and explained it all in a way that had her yearning to know more. Their evenings had been taken up many times as well, he had taken her to many fine restaurants and they had many shows in London's west end. Although Buffy wouldn't have said she was a huge musical or play fan, she had enjoyed all that they had gone to, some being choices he'd made and some had been requests of hers.

They were now into their final week, and Buffy had increasingly noticed that Giles was starting to keep a distance from her. He hadn't kissed her anymore after that first night and he had always waited for her to initiate and signs of affection. Was he waiting for her to say she was now alright? Or was he now scared of getting too close in case she stopped it all again? She wanted to be with him so much it hurt. After that first night she had ran through the event again and again in her mind and realised what Giles had said had been right, now that she was able to admit what had happened to her the event itself seemed shaded in her mind. It wasn't totally gone, she'd be a fool to think it would, but it didn't seem quite so potent. Her mind was made up that she would try and tell Giles that she was feeling better.

The weeks had flown by for Giles; he couldn't believe they were in their final week of their vacation already. He had tried so hard to distract Buffy's mind and fill it with memories other than that one of Spike. She seemed to love it, but he didn't dare act irrationally, he didn't want to hurt her anymore, he had given her some space to come to terms with it in her own time. He had an evening planned for a few nights' times that would be the perfect night he was hoping for, but he would only go as far as she would let him. Giles sincerely hoped that she would allow him to show how much he loved her.

* * *

><p>Giles had seen this show in the paper just after they had arrived in England and had known she would love, she had appeared to enjoy all the shows they'd seen thus far, but he knew she'd love this one. They were in the car and driving towards the restaurant they were going to eat at this evening and all the way Buffy was probing him to know what it was they were going to see.<p>

"Come on please, you know I don't like surprises."

"You'll just have to wait." Giles laughed, "You'll see when we get there."

They pulled into the restaurant's car park, Giles got out and then opened Buffy's door. They had both dressed in casual-formal this evening, Giles was in a dark green shirt and beige trousers whiles Buffy was sporting a mid-blue dress that came down to her knees, it was curve hugging, but not overly tight. Giles thought she looking amazing, but then she always did in his eyes.

All throughout the meal Buffy tried to get some hint as to what they were going to see, she knew she was starting to whine but the wait was really getting to her, and Giles smiling all the time about it wasn't helping in the slightest. Eventually when the meal was finished, they got back in the car and drove off, not to the west end of London that Buffy had gotten so used to over the past couple of weeks she had been here, but to a large arena just outside the main town. She couldn't see any indication of what was on there, many people were crowding in and the age range was quite large; young children clutching onto their parents right up to old pensioners ready for a lovely night out.

Giles parked up and looked at her,

"Ready to go in then? I know you'll enjoy this."

Without waiting for a reply he got out and again opened the door for Buffy, this had been very strange for her when she had first seen him do it, but it was one of those gentleman mannerisms that she had learned to let him indulge in.

They made their way to the entrance, they weren't the only couple, Buffy noticed. She still couldn't fathom what it was they were seeing tonight. Not, that was, until they went into the main auditorium, there were many stores selling confectionary and merchandise and all the merchandise was ice skating related. She stood in awe, looking around while Giles sorted out the having their tickets checked and buying a programme.

He smiled when he saw her face, he tapped her on the shoulder to break her out of her stupor and handed her the programme he had just purchased, the show they were seeing was Torvill and Dean. Buffy threw herself into Giles' arms, this was going to be a great show, even though she was too young to remember them in their glory days, she had videos of these two at home, they were two amazing ice dancers and she was getting to see them live.

"Told you you'd like this."

She just hugged him again as a reply. Giles had seen the videos on the numerous times he'd been to her house, and he'd always known she was an ice skating fan. When he had seen this show advertised he had called up the arena's box office right away for the best tickets he could get, which had turned out to be right next to the ice.

The show started not too long after Buffy and Giles made it to their seats. Giles found himself watching Buffy as much as he watched the show. He was a fan of Torvill and Dean himself (well it wasn't very often Britain scored highly in something so he would like them) but the look of glee on her face was a picture. Throughout the show they performed their more famous numbers from years gone by, some new one just for this show and then lastly their most famous number: Bolero. Buffy was enjoying herself greatly he could see that, and when the end came they made their way back to the car, Buffy never stopping saying thank you for the night she'd just had.

* * *

><p><em>Pardon the way that I stare<br>There's nothing else to compare  
>The sight of you leaves me weak<br>There are no words left to speak_

They got back quite late and got ready for bed as soon as they got into the flat. Everything was all packed and going to be picked up the day before they flew back out to LA. Giles got into bed first and lay under the covers considering what to do next, he really wanted this night to end well, for both of them, but he didn't want Buffy to be hurt anymore. He was so lost in thought that he didn't hear her get under the covers next to him.

She lay there gazing at him for a few moments wondering what was going on in that brilliant head of his.

"Penny for your thoughts?"

"Hmm… oh, I was just… it doesn't matter."

"It was something now come on,"

"I was just thinking about tonight and great it's been. That's all."

Buffy looked him in the eye, he wasn't telling her something, which in this case, was probably through possible embarrassment. Then it hit her: the fantastic meal, the show he knew she'd love so much, she knew he had had this planned since the first day they arrived here, he had been trying to create the perfect date for the two of them. She realised he was now scared of going any further in case he caused her more pain.

All logical thought left her head at that moment, he really was so sweet and such a gentleman, she wanted nothing else, and think of nothing else but him and this moment. She leant over him and placed her lips in his, trying to convey that she wanted this as much as he did, that she wasn't hurting anymore.

Giles returned this kiss eagerly for a few seconds before pulling back.

"Are you sure about this? I love you so much… I don't want to hurt you,"

"I know Rupert," she moved so she could whisper into his ear, "I want this, I want you."

That was what Giles needed to hear, and with a low moan, that was almost a growl to Buffy's ears he rolled them both over so he was on top,

"If I do anything you don't like just stop me."

She looked at the seriousness in his eyes and just nodded in response. He then let his adorn a gentle smile before resuming the kiss she had started. He did the same as the last time, he made it gentle and slow, letting everything happen gradually instead of all at once. Buffy was no stranger to kissing, but she never knew so much passion could be shown in one until she had kissed Giles. She felt his tongue ask for entrance to her mouth and she opened hers to allow him in, the dance that was done so many nights previously started again, and only ended this time when they needed to breathe. He lifted his head off her and looked at her, studying her face, he then laid his weight onto her slowly so as not to crush her.

Buffy could feeling his growing erection through his bottoms, as he lay himself down it rested upon her core, which was growing ever wetter from the kiss and now the slight friction between them. The kiss recommenced and she felt his hands slowly make their way up her torso, one coming to a stop at her waist and the other raising up till his fingers snaked into her hair. She latched her own arms around his neck and, getting desperate for something more, raised her hips up to meet his groin. He let out that growl again before forcing her hips back down onto the bed.

"Patience sweetheart,"

Keeping one hand now on her hips to prevent them from bucking, he starting to rid her of her nightshirt, he did so, Buffy was certain, deliberately slowly, it got too intense for her, and she threw it off the rest of the way and chucked it out of the way. Giles couldn't help but laugh at her.

"How long have I been trying to teach you to be patient? Tonight, you will learn."

It was Buffy's turn to moan as he ran his hand over her now bare chest and down her stomach, he then placed his right hand back into her hair and kissed her once more, while his left hand squeezed between them and started to massage her right breast. She moaned again into the kiss as he kneaded her and pinched her nipple just hard enough to send a ripple through her body and ending at her core. He lifted himself up and smiled at her again, unlike before which was gentle and loving, this one could almost be described as mischievous. Giles moved is mouth from her lips and kissed her just below her ear and then made his way steadily down before finding her pulse and licking the spot where it was.

She bucked again and she could feel herself getting very wet for this man, who was just clamping his mouth over her right nipple and beginning to knead the other one with his free hand. The pleasure coursing through her was extremely intense and far beyond any level she had experienced with anyone she had been with previously. He started to lick the other nipple while she tried to get his shirt off, which was difficult to do, as her brain had given on thinking and was just feeling. Giles realised what she was trying to do and stopped long enough to take it off throw it aside next to hers.

It was now Buffy's turn to look as he saw him, a wonderful muscled chest and arms, she was now questioning why this man had to wear a shirt at all. Her hands stretched up and caressed his chest, eliciting a small moan from him. It felt amazing to her. When she stopped her onslaught of his chest, Giles made a move towards her own pyjama bottoms before pausing and looking her in the eye, his gaze was now sombre and was asking permission before he went any further. To give her response Buffy grabbed his hand and placed it on her hips before dragging it down, getting the message, he pulled her bottoms and her underwear off the whole way. He then raised himself onto his knees so he could see all of her and gaze upon the pure beauty of what was now lying under him.

He was speechless as to describe how she looked to him, he just contented himself by running his hand up and down the length of her. Up her thigh and torso and then down her front, over each breast and down her stomach before coming to a rest at her centre. He could feel his pants tightening as his erection grew larger. Slowly, he started to rub her clit, eliciting a delightful array of sounds from his lover's mouth. He made a swift move to adjust himself before continuing, trying to lower his level of discomfort.

The feel of his fingers on her sent a powerful feeling throughout her, and it was making her desperate for him to be inside her.

"Giles please."

The sound of her begging nearly sent him over the edge right then, and none of the attention had been on him so far. He leant down and kissed her once more, deciding to tease her for a short while longer. His fingers went lower and entered into her, both of them moaning at the feeling of it.

"What is it you want Buffy? Tell me."

"I want you," Buffy managed to pant out. "I want you inside me."

Unable to resist her pleas any longer he removed his fingers from her and removed the last of his own clothing.

Buffy took a small chance to gaze at him properly. He was quite large and, now that she could see him fully naked she had to admit that her dream Giles (that she would never admit about) paled in comparison to the real thing.

Giles positioned himself at her entrance and gently pushed his way inside. She moaned while he plainly growled. Once he thought she'd had time to adjust he started to move within her, despite hardly being touched he was already so close just from this, so as he moved he started slowly mentally reciting one of his Latin texts to try and prevent himself cumming too soon.

Buffy was in heaven, she had never felt like this with anyone, Giles made her feel complete in every way. She knew though, that she wasn't going to last too much longer.

"Giles I'm going to…"

"It's alright Buffy." He leaned his face down to her ear and whispered, "Cum for me."

It was that accent that did it for her and she did exactly as he said. He followed soon after.

* * *

><p>It had taken them a while to come down from that high, and both of them had fallen asleep shortly after. Giles was the first to wake the next morning, he glanced in his arms to find the love of his life lying within them and he smiled. He didn't ever want to be anywhere else.<p>

Giles' stuff was moved that day and they flew out back to California the next. Their friends were all glad to see them back and ecstatic that Giles was really staying with them again. When asked what they did while in England, Buffy had delighted them all with her trips and travels around the capital and how much she had enjoyed the culture and entertainment of it all. She didn't mention the night time events; neither of them felt they needed to. All of their friends seemed thrilled that they were together and so they left it at that.

Throughout the next few months, many hellmouthish events occurred, but slayer and watcher could always be found side by side fighting them off and making Sunnydale a somewhat safer place. They would always return to his home on afterward and just be with each other, showing their love in all the ways they could. It wasn't the normal looking life for a couple, but for Buffy and Giles, it was perfect.

* * *

><p>Please be kind with this one, it is my first attempt at writing an M scene (at least the first that has been published anyway). Reviews and constructive criticism are welcomed as always; love to hear from all of you.<p> 


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